


Water

by Gabubu



Category: Avatar: The Last Airbender
Genre: Azulacentric, Canon Compliant, Family, Gen, Sanity, Tragedy
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2012-10-09
Updated: 2012-10-09
Packaged: 2017-11-15 22:48:55
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 278
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/532637
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Gabubu/pseuds/Gabubu
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Sanity moves from the trickle of a creek to the depths of a canyon.</p>
            </blockquote>





	Water

**Author's Note:**

> Contains spoilers(ish) from The Promise part III.

The glimmer in her eyes transformed. Gone– dexterity, sanity, control. This occurred gradually. A light, soft stream cruising over rock does makes no effect– but if enough water flows in the same path several times, a canyon is born. The first drop originated maternally. It created: led, to a weak flow. To be perceived as a brother-centric mother is one gripe, one drop leading to a soft, slow flow. To have a power-centric, maniacal father deepened the tiny stream. Which side does the little princess choose? She sees and believes a mother-centric brother and a brother-centric mother. Disgusting Oedipus. Power, she desires. Distance necessary. Groomed to perfection, she swoops, balances, fires, and destroys. 

Risen to the pinnacle, eye-to-eye–no!– above the stars she sits, gloating and mesmerizing, her will that of a god's. But the depth of earth beneath raging waters, the strength and iron of it–

– crumbling, slippery sand, all of it. Waves crash upon hardened mud, tearing brokenly at the barrier. It all falls way, she falls away, spinning haphazardly, flames at her boots. Almost, she rises. Almost, she regains her throne of stars and souls. But the cliffs along the canyon, the smooth walls aside– hold no notches or cracks, no slivers or bumps. 

Cleverness useless; strength useless. The icy crunch of water slamming into her back, the razors of drops. The rapids swallow one whole. Azula tumbled and fell, footholds nonexistent.

Thrashing, sobbing, drowning, the phoenix pushed her upon the raging waters. A turtleduck waddled by, and the waters stilled. 

Perchance this mother of her's may cleave a path along the unwrinkled height of the walls and dry the water from her slippery palms.


End file.
